Django Reinhardt

Everything about the swinging music we love to DJ

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CafeSavoy
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#46 Post by CafeSavoy » Thu Jul 03, 2003 7:33 pm

i agree that Atomic Swing is a stronger overall cd. Although it is a compilation and so draws on 6 years of material.

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djstarr
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#47 Post by djstarr » Tue Jul 15, 2003 1:54 pm

ok, getting back to the original topic, I did get the 4 CD disc set in - it's pretty amazing, a lot of music to listen to.

From the liner notes: "This 4 CDs set offers for the first time in any format the complete and definitive edition of the studio recordings made by Django Reinhardt with American jazzmen, as soloists and as freelances. The recordings are the master takes issued originally in French, presented in chronological order.

In addition, the four CD includes as bonus tracks: 1) three private live recordings from two Parisian clubs; 2) all the official Django Reinhardt's recordings made with the G.I.'s members of the Air Transport Command band at the AFN studio in Paris, for the American Army use; and 3) two radio transcriptions from the same origin."

What I really like about it is that there are many different musicians playing on these CDs, including my new buddy Rex Stewart.

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Matthew
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#48 Post by Matthew » Tue Jul 15, 2003 11:05 pm

I've been contemplating the fact that, apparently, Django didn't switch hands after his injury. I understand the preference for playing with a certain hand, but it seems as though it would have been easier than learning a whole new technique with an injured hand. Any thoughts on why he did what he did?

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funkyfreak
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#49 Post by funkyfreak » Wed Jul 16, 2003 6:47 am

You use both hands for a guitar, Matthew.
"Switching" would still require playing with the injured hand.

-FF

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Matthew
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#50 Post by Matthew » Wed Jul 16, 2003 9:14 pm

I understand that, of course. I mean that it seems as though it would have been easier for him to use four fingers on the frets, and three to pluck and strum the strings, rather than to do what he did.

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#51 Post by Soupbone » Mon Jul 21, 2003 10:15 am

Matthew wrote:I mean that it seems as though it would have been easier for him to use four fingers on the frets, and three to pluck and strum the strings, rather than to do what he did.
I'm not so sure about that.... but I imagine someone with more knowledge and understanding of how the brain works could explain why I might think that, though. :)

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#52 Post by Matthew » Mon Jul 21, 2003 11:22 pm

I just found a CD called Rare Django on Amazon. Pretty weird music, but it's fun to hear his earlier gigs. Does anybody here have this CD?

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#53 Post by GemZombie » Tue Jul 22, 2003 10:48 am

Matthew wrote:I just found a CD called Rare Django on Amazon. Pretty weird music, but it's fun to hear his earlier gigs. Does anybody here have this CD?
Ya, it's available on Emusic. I grabbed it a while ago. It's quite good.

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#54 Post by Lawrence » Tue Jul 29, 2003 12:07 pm

Soupbone wrote:
Matthew wrote:I mean that it seems as though it would have been easier for him to use four fingers on the frets, and three to pluck and strum the strings, rather than to do what he did.
I'm not so sure about that.... but I imagine someone with more knowledge and understanding of how the brain works could explain why I might think that, though. :)
There have been guitarists who have switched when confronted with Django's predicament, and it is possible, but it would be similar to a right-handed person re-learning how to write left-handed. You would need to have at least some level of "ambidextriousness" in order to accomplish it fully.

Either hand can learn how to do the fretwork, even though it seems like the fretwork would be the more difficult task to a non-guitarist. The strumming/plucking actually requires more coordination and timing: thus, the dominant hand does it. Apparently Django found it easier to just adapt with his injured hand than completely re-learn how to play guitar left-handed. It certainly added to his legend.
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#55 Post by Lawrence » Tue Jul 29, 2003 12:13 pm

djstarr wrote:ok, getting back to the original topic, I did get the 4 CD disc set in - it's pretty amazing, a lot of music to listen to.
I just received this set, too, and I must respectfully disagree on first listen. I remain open-minded, though, so please let me know which songs on it you particularly enjoy, because it all sounded like the same listenable, musically-innovative (for the times), but fairly-undanceable stuff I have always associated with Django. (I mean it; I really am interested. I would not have bought the CD if I wasn't open-minded to re-visit Django for the third or fourth time.)
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#56 Post by Mr Awesomer » Tue Jul 29, 2003 6:41 pm

Lawrence wrote:but fairly-undanceable stuff
What do you mean by undanceable? Lots of people dance to it.
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Lawrence
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#57 Post by Lawrence » Tue Jul 29, 2003 8:52 pm

I don't want to debate what is or is not danceable, again (and again, and again). Let me be more clear what my question is:
Lawrence wrote:please let me know which songs on [the 4-CD "Django and his American Friends" set] you particularly enjoy * * * (I mean it; I really am interested. I would not have bought the CD if I wasn't open-minded to re-visit Django for the third or fourth time.)
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#58 Post by djstarr » Tue Jul 29, 2003 9:43 pm

Lawrence wrote:
djstarr wrote:ok, getting back to the original topic, I did get the 4 CD disc set in - it's pretty amazing, a lot of music to listen to.
I just received this set, too, and I must respectfully disagree on first listen. I remain open-minded, though, so please let me know which songs on it you particularly enjoy, because it all sounded like the same listenable, musically-innovative (for the times), but fairly-undanceable stuff I have always associated with Django. (I mean it; I really am interested. I would not have bought the CD if I wasn't open-minded to re-visit Django for the third or fourth time.)
I listened to these CD's for about a week straight, and paid attention to the selections that both Rayned and Peter recommended. The ones I particularly like for dancing and would dj in Seattle without any hesitation:

Disc 1:
#5 (Avalon), #6 (What a Difference a Day Made) - Coleman Hawkins
#16 (Object of My Affection) - Bill Coleman
#23 (Honeysuckle Rose), #26 (Sweet Georgia Brown) - Coleman Hawkins and his All Star Jam Band (w/Benny Carter)

Disc 2:
#1 (Bugle Call Rag), #2 (Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea), #3 (I Got Rhythm), #4 (Sweet Sue Just You), #6 (Japanese Sandman) - Dicky Wells
#8 (Sweet Georgia Brown) - Eddie South
#12 (I Ain't Got Nobody) - Bill Coleman
#22 (I'm Coming Virginia) - Benny Carter

Disc 3:
#5 (Finesse - Night Wind), #6 (I Know that you Know), #7 (Solid Old Man) - Rex Stewart and his Feetwarmers
#9 (Darktown Strutter's Ball) - Andre Ekyan
#11 (My Melancholy Baby) - Arthur Briggs

Disc 4:
#1 (At the Jimmy's Bar) - Django's Music
#5 (Stompin' at the Savoy) - Jazz Club Mystery Hot Band (aka Glenn Miller sidemen)

I've played I'm coming Virginia a couple of times and gotten good feedback.

I played I Got Rhythm, Bugle Call Rag and Sweet Georgia Brown (Disc 1 version) last Weds. specifically for dancers practicing for the balboa and shag comps at NJC - they loved the songs. (see bal/shag thread for more info). Seattle dancers are pretty versatile - I saw Charleston, balboa, shag, and lindy danced to these tunes.

On the whole, I like the stuff with horns/orchestra better than the violins - although I think I would like the violin stuff one at a time, listening to it straight through gave me a headache!

Disc 4, while a lot of good music, is poorest sounding since that has all the radio transcriptions and special takes --- the radio stuff is cool, but there is a lot of voiceover.

Sweet Georgia Brown off the first disc is awesome - great energy at the end.

Try a couple out and let me know what happens!

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#59 Post by SpuzBal » Tue Jul 29, 2003 10:08 pm

"Interpretation Swing du Premier Mouvement..." is probably my favorite track off of that set. It'd probably be a bit strange to dance to, but it's an awesome recording.
"In my opinion, out of the ten great guitarists in the world, Django is five of them!" - Rex Stewart

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#60 Post by djstarr » Tue Jul 29, 2003 11:30 pm

SpuzBal wrote:"Interpretation Swing du Premier Mouvement..." is probably my favorite track off of that set. It'd probably be a bit strange to dance to, but it's an awesome recording.
oh yeah, I agree - i like both the Bach ones --- I should try playing it at our informal dance and see what people do.

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